Intimate Memory, Collective History

Dissected by the 50 authors of FIRN, 2010

From childhood trauma to the great upheavals of history, what does the roman noir say about the capacity of man to reinvent himself? How do we integrate the weight of daily life into memory and culture? What can we learn from the past? How do we nurture a feeling of eternal regeneration? How does silent terror transform into rage when it dives into the past?

The 13th gathering of the International Festival of the Roman Noir will take place from Monday, July 21 till Sunday, July 27, 2010, in Frontignan and the surrounding villages, and will invite 50 authors with the theme “ Intimate Memory, Collective History”.

To take on one of the major questions in police literature today, with forums and round tables starting Friday, the FIRN is the premier festival of crime literature in France that features the English writers David... Adam etc and the Swede Mons etc. Other great names and undiscovered authors joining them are: Cédric Anger (Fr), Ingrid Astier (Fr), Laurent Astier (Fr), Lilian Bathelot (Fr), Stéphanie Benson (Gb) Natalie Beunat (Fr), Guillaume Bouzard (Fr), Fritz Bowwl (All), Jean-Christophe Chauzy (Fr), Michel Chevron (Fr), Didier Daeninckx (Fr), Stéfanie Delestré (Fr), Pascal Dessaint (Fr), Serguei Dounovetz (Fr), RJ Ellory (Gb), Gilbert Gallerne (Fr), Gil Graff (Fr), François Guérif (Fr), Bénédicte Heim (Fr), Christopher Hittinger (Fr-Usa) Jean-Paul Jody (Fr), Mine G. Kirikkanat (Tur), Reinhardt Kleist (All), Mattt Konture (Fr), Hervé Le Corre (Fr), Gilles Legardinier (Fr), Reno Lemaire (Fr), Laurent Maffre (Fr), Pierre Maurel (Fr), Mawil (All), Franck Membribe (Fr), Claude Mesplède (Fr), Jacques Mondoloni (Fr), Nicolas Moog (Fr), Gianni Pirozzi (Fr), Jean-Bernard Pouy (Fr), Marion Poirson-Dechonne (Fr), David Prudhomme (Fr), Frédéric Rébéna (Fr), Denis Robert (Fr), Gilles Rochier (Fr), Benoît Séverac (Fr), Jules Stromboni (Fr), and Sunjata (Fr).

Regarding the cinema, besides the special evening highlighting Cedric Anger, the FIRN proposes the experience of The Red Riding Trilogy, three fascinating films adapted from David Pearce's “The Yorkshire Quartet”. Three directors and three films go to the heart of the Thatcher years in Yorkshire, with corruption, obsession and murder, all to be devoured on Saturday during a full day devoted to Pearce, or tasted time to time from Friday to Sunday.

Also at the FIRN: the painter Andre Cervera, inspired by the roman noir, will be illustrating scenes, for a color series for roman noir or a fight on his canvas – an unabridged exposition of his paintings created on the spot.

Starting Tuesday, the FIRN will convene other genres: film, music, murder-parties, lectures, workshops, and expositions - all near the vineyards producing the 2010 dry Muscat de Frontignan, and the Muscat de Frontignan beer.

This literary event continues and affirms its ties to Montpellier with the Black Cash party at the Rockstore; a rendez-vous Las Vegas Canasson in homage to Johnny Cash including the Reinhardt Kleist multiBeDia on the life of the bad boy of country music; an original reading of Natyot and Skeleton Band; the neo folk sound of The Rodeo; and in the Bassin de Thau (Sète Balaruc-les-Bains, Gigean Vic-la-Gardiole ...) through cultural evenings, readings and workshops.

New this year, a mysterious evening at the "Seagulls" with head in the clouds and feet in the water, invites the public, and the guests of the FIRN to enjoy the irreverent humor of Anais Kael including the myth of "brasucade"; to discover the short films from Kino Black Sand; and to rock out on the set of TwinSelecter - black outfits required!

In addition, two major evening events are planned: Ziveli Orkestar - eight musicians who are reinventing Gypsy tunes or standards of French music in a festive spirit.

In closing FIRN, in partnership with the network Conti, an evening of Andalusian Gypsies will be given to benefit the reconstruction of a theater in Haiti.